Today, we’d like to introduce you to Anne Streett. Anne was introduced to us by the inspiring and always helpful Liz Higgins.
Anne, thank you so much for joining us today. We’d love for you to bring our readers up to speed – can you introduce yourself and share your story?
I am the second of seven children, and my family dynamic growing up was a constant flow of highs and lows associated with learning how to make relationships work. It was loud, chaotic, intense and also deeply meaningful to be in my family. I quickly found out that in the mix of my big family, my strength was to attune to others, anticipate needs, and attempt to remedy conflict. I found myself in this position at school and among friends as well. I was my most comfortable self when my purpose was in helping others feel understood.
I was first exposed to Family Therapy in high school. I was in awe of the therapists that worked with us and their ability to draw an emotional blueprint of the struggles we faced in my family. I resonated with their purpose as healers, empaths, and strength finders. I knew from that point on, that I wanted to spend my career doing the same. I have always had an insatiable desire to understand the human experience and discover ways to embolden others to live authentic, meaning filled lives.
Let’s talk about your work and career – what else should we know?
Much of the beginning years in my career was spent at The Family Studies Center of UT Southwestern. There, I was given many opportunities to train and gain experience working with underprivileged couples, families, and individuals. My time here was rich with learning the Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy model that I still utilize today in my practice. Besides shoring up my couples therapy training, I also gained experience working with chronic illness, caregiver issues, grief, and loss. I spent a year working as the Family Therapist on the ALS clinic interdisciplinary team. My job here was to work with patients with Lou Gehrig’s Disease, providing therapy to their partners and families, and also be a support to the medical staff amidst this life altering disease. This experience not only gave me a unique perspective on the mental toll of chronic illness, but also its impact on the family system at large. I was able to cultivate skills working with medical professionals as well, who undoubtedly carry a heavy burden as their patient’s providers. In this setting, I really pushed myself to face some of life’s most hopeless scenarios. I still carry with me the bravery and resilience of these patients and their loved ones. After completing my training, I moved onto a group practice setting. I have been here at Millennial Life Counseling for 3 years now, and have been fully immersed in my passion– couples therapy. As Clinical Director, I also serve as a supportive contact to our other team members. I have a goal of providing empathic leadership to the team and create a positive environment where we value authenticity and a continued discovery of our unique strengths in this craft. My work with couples stems from an attachment focused lens and our therapy process is one that validates each person’s humanity and recognizes our core needs as humans to be in connection with others. I specialize in working with couples who are in the premarital stage, discerning parenthood, or are battling grief and loss in their family system. I also have a special focus on couples where ADHD challenges creates conflict in their dynamic. This particular zone is very rewarding to work with. The couples begin in such a deep place of discouragement and hopelessness, but as we focus on the strengths of their differences, they become empowered to accept one another in new ways. The bond emerges transformed and renewed. The couple’s therapy space is one of trust building and emotional risk taking. I love this work because I have the honor of witnessing couples find their way back to each other and develop a deeper level of trust than they have ever experienced before. It is a privilege to walk this path with these couples. Seeing progress towards a secure relationship bond is by far the most rewarding part of my job. I hold each of my clients and couples near to my heart and genuinely desire peace and happiness for them in their relationships.
So, as we mentioned to our audience earlier, you were introduced to us by Liz Higgins and Millennial Life Counseling and we really admire them and what they’ve built. For folks who might not be as familiar, can you tell them a bit about your experience with Millennial Life Counseling.
Working in the Millennial Life Counseling space has honestly been good for my soul! It is rare to find a work environment that practices its own craft. Here at MLC, we value work life balance, vulnerability, and truly normalize the need for support and connection within the team. The space here is one that encourages creativity and an entrepreneurial spirit. It is incredibly exciting to not feel limited in your career. Each day I am faced with new aspects of being a therapist. I love that bettering myself directly correlates with being a successful therapist and team member. The culture here is one of respect and open dialogue. Our team is truly armed for success.
MLC has challenged me to discover strengths that I have allowed to become dormant or unrecognized. When you feel supported in your work environment, it allows you to explore healthy challenges and assess where growth is needed. For me in particular, it has opened up my leadership skills and allowed me to offer support to other therapists in poignant ways. MLC is unique in this way. We hold close the power of being valued–both for our therapists and in the client experience.
Website: https://www.millenniallifecounseling.com/meet-our-team/anne-streett
